Sorry for my grammar in advance, Spanish is my mother tongue.
Hi, how are you all? I'm writing this expecting a second opinion after being diagnosed with severe anxiety for a bad reason,
I'm a 24 years old law school student, I have been doing quite well in life, went to the professional because until now I was doing fine studying and hard focusing 1 day, the other reason was that my girlfriend gets really mad at me because I can't switch my attention quick enough, or because even if I'm listening I'm not processing what she says and needs to repeat it.
So I went in and after saying Hi the first I did was describe my symptoms, how I can only focus only hard pressure (the day before an exam), and if I try to study before I'm just all over the place, how I'm in the moon in reunions with friends, how I have been losing things all my life, the imposter syndrome, forgetting to do homework, not going to the bathroom unless is an urgency because I don't detect it when I'm focused, failing to follow plans, etc.
I feel I check all the symptoms minus being really hyperactive, which as I recon, is only a type of ADHD.
She answered that if I ever could focus on anything I can't have ADHD because I'm selecting in what I'm focusing on, which for me was as if she ignored what hyper-focusing was, when I can only focus with games (I play league competitively) and with really hard pressure, otherwise I just can't.
She told me that if I got to the fourth year of university without treatment is another reason why I can't have it and that I should accept that I'm just a really lazy and distracted person when some things my brain hurts of how hard I try to focus on something and fail to do so anyway
She didn't ask anything about my life (ADHD quiz), and later didn't have any problem saying I should have severe anxiety or depression after 3 questions and prescribing me clonazepam.
I felt really wronged by her answer, but I'm looking for second opinions, please.
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SirStarian
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Hyperfocus is definitely a part of ADD. I'm not hyper either. However, I can sink into a book, and not notice the house burning down around me. My brother with ADHD would be pulled into television programs. He had trouble walking through a room with a TV running. He would just stop and stare and you would have to block his view to get his attention.
Definitely seek another professional for a diagnosis.
Yup, I'm the same, I get in so many problems with my family, and until a month ago I thought I was just distracted or just too focused, but that should happen to others too.
People saying telling me their name and not even registering it (even if I ask them their name).
Answering yes always when they ask me if I understood but information didn't even enter my brain.
Is not that im deaf, I listen the sound but my brain doesn't decide to process it, and people just think i wasn't interested in the conversation
Some of my distraction is just my own thinking. Someone asks me a question and I start shuffling through the information and designing a solution, and without realizing it I have stopped listening, then I pop back out from that thought process 30 seconds later and neither of us realize I missed the next two sentences that were really important.
Go consult another doctor. There are lots of idiot providers who are misinformed about ADHD. The ADHD person might be able to get through college and even grad school, but the work to do so is 10 x as hard.
Thank you.The first year of university was like a superpower, I CAN STUDY FOR AN EXAM THE DAY BEFORE AND ACE IT, now is a curse that generates a lot of stress since I really can't study if it is not the day before...
She telling me I was just lazy and didn't like studying made me cry when I sit 3 days in a chair and try as hard as I can, hurting my brain and knowing is useless.
On the last day of studying, I feel like Einstein but that's just not enough...
I've been trying to contact other professionals in my country today, but it seems impossible.
Yeah, the curse of ADHD can build as time goes on. College courses at some point become too hard to study for at the last minute. Then you'll have multiple courses you'll have to study for--all too hard to study for at last minute. And you have all the "free time"--which is really hard for people with ADHD to manage.
Most Drs just don't understand it. I read a book about trauma and the Brain. Summary It's VERY COMPLICATED and much more we don't know. Self education is key. My first question is how much do you know about ADHD?
If they answer very well and confident, I have become skeptical. I'm encouraged when they know or say they are not. Typically more open to discovery The ones that answer with more reserved confidence are the best I've found. They can turn up where you least expect it, my concussion P.T. her brother has ADHD It was so liberating being heard understood, totally got it and she said she knew a little about ADHD.. .. IN MY EYES SHE WAS AN EXPERT. Education (both ways learn and share where you can, be prepared-some people discomfort with subject is not us but issues they are not ready to address) fact check. If we can't talk about it, we cant indentfy it, we can't solve it. Casting judgement for lack of knowledge doesn't help. Feel free to cast judgement on those who don't care still not productive
Speaking from personal experiences My anger/fustration at medical profession was destructive, even though completely justified. Work in progress, I try to flip it. Share a little, hope they will benefit and pass it on. R. B. G.-
“Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.”
No! Don't take it! Clonazepam is a benzo- they're really addictive and will f you up. Don't let any doctor brush you off by saying you have anxiety. Find another provider, and go to yelp and give this quack an honest review. FFS.
Hi SirStarian. Thank you for posting this. For the past year, I've had a similar experience as yours. I've been trying different meds for anxiety and depression. Zoloft has helped with my general anxiety, but has done nothing to help with my lack of project skills. Of course I'm anxious because I'm no longer confident that I can complete a task since I don't know if my brain is going to work today.
As someone else mentioned, try to find someone that can say "I don't know". As far as I can tell, there is not a lot of research available about hyperfocus. It wasn't until someone explained the word to me that my brain behavior started to make sense.
Hopefully the fact that you are aware that this therapist may not be helping you and you need more information means you are already on the right track. I hope you find some more help. In the meantime, know there are people experiencing the same thing and it's not just you!
No she is wrong > I am a Health Professional with ADHD diagnosed at age 49. Sometimes I can even hyper focus and I have a Master's degree in Nursing and I am a Nurse Practitioenr and I DO HAVE ADHD. So no fire her and find someone else who knows enough about the combination of ADHD , anxiety and depression to help
As for your lady friend , She cannot possibly get it . But she can try harder. It is not intentional on your part. Your brain is just wired differently than that of folks who doi not have ADHD, But sounds like you needs medications to help you slow down and focus and also deal with the anxiuety. Graduate level schooling is exhausting hard and takes a lot out of you. Give yourself a pat on the back please and get some thearpist who understands the issues clearly
Some professionals are misinformed and many people in general. I would definitely get a second opinion and do more research on a very respected psychiatrist in the community. Don't take the opinion of one professional to heart unless you consult some others.
Those who have a good understanding of ADHD and even some psychologists (although they can't officially diagnose) are good to pick out when a patient has ADHD.
One GP I had consulted initially totally dismissed that I had ADHD although I don't blame him as he's not a psychiatrist. He said stuff like "but you made it through university and studied such a tough degree etc."
Even well known popular accomplished individuals like Gabor Mate went through and achieved all that. They went on to complete medical school, wrote tonnes of books etc. However no one should underestimate what was going on in the heads of these individuals. The dysfunctional relationships, low self-esteem, addictive tendencies, chaos etc. Some people have just managed to accept it and work ways around it. People do push through and some mask this very well. However it doesn't mean that there is no underlying neurological issue. ADHD is when our brains are underdeveloped.
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